Bernie Williams Biography

Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. was born on September 13, 1968, and is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player and musician. He played his entire 16-year career in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees from 1991 to 2006. He earned recognition as a five-time All-Star, won the 1998 American League batting title, and received the 1996 AL Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award. The Yankees retired his uniform number 51 and honored him with a plaque in Monument Park in May 2015. At the 1984 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he won gold in the 200 m, 400 m, 4 × 100 m relay, and 4 × 400 m relay events for under-17 athletes. He was a few months shy of his 17th birthday when he became eligible to sign with an MLB team. After playing a few games in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League, he was officially signed by the Yankees on his 17th birthday.